Police, community and calendar briefs for Oct. 13, 2013

Published: Saturday, October 12, 2013 at 11:03 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, October 12, 2013 at 11:03 p.m.

A 40-year-old Middleberg man arrested by Clay County officials on a Marion County warrant for capital sexual battery has returned to Ocala to face the charge, according to reports.

Jonathan Robert Welcher arrived at the Marion County Jail at 4:50 a.m. Saturday and was booked into the facility. Welcher was picked up by Clay County officials on Thursday for the alleged offense.

Earlier this month, sheriff's officials had received a report of a 15-year-old teenage boy who had been molested when he was 7 or 8.

Detective TJ Watts interviewed the teenager, who said Welcher sexually assaulted him in the Orange Lake area.

An arrest warrant was drafted for Welcher.

From his investigation, the detective discovered a woman by the name of Crystal Foster may have some information about this case and authorities would like to talk with her about it. Foster, officials said, is not a suspect in the case, but the detective wants to talk with her about what she knows.

Watts can be reached at 425-3860.

3 arrested when police find meth lab in home

Two men and a woman were arrested by Ocala police on Saturday morning on various drug charges after receiving information about a methamphetamine lab in a garage, according to officials.

Officers Ashley Stinehour and Anthony Reghetti, along with Sgt. Erica Hay, responded to 2220 NE Third St. in reference to a complaint about someone cooking and selling meth from a garage.

On scene, officials saw several people at the residence and received permission to search the home. Officers found a meth lab inside the garage and a 3-year-old boy asleep on a cot at the end of a bed.

The Department of Children and Families was called about the investigation.

After clearing the home, the officers notified the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team about the incident. Agents went to the home, dismantled the meth lab and collected in excess of 14 grams of liquid and powdered meth, authorities said.

Arrested at the scene was Eric L. Mulac, 27, on charges of trafficking meth, possession of marijuana less than 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and child neglect. At the Marion County Jail, Mulac received an additional charge of introduction of contraband into a detention facility.

Also taken into custody was 29-year-old Marcia Whitaker on a charge possession of meth. Whitaker has a warrant out for her arrest out of Brevard County for possession of oxycodone. Also arrested was Jeffrey Whitaker, 31, on a charge of possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.

Man, 36, accused of beating 13-year-old boy

Ocala police arrested a 36-year-old Ocala man for aggravated child abuse after he reportedly punched, choked, kicked and dragged a 13-year-old teenage boy from a room and left him in a front yard on Friday, according to officials.

The teen told Officer Richard G. Knobloch he was asleep when he was awakened by Mike Clement, who asked him if he was finished with his work. The juvenile said he told Clement no and that he went back to sleep.

About 10 minutes later, the boy said, Clement came into his room and punched him several times in the stomach and upper torso area, grabbed his throat with one hand and used the other to continue punching him.

Falling to the ground, the victim said Clement then kicked him in the face. Clement then dragged the victim outside and left him in the front yard, the officer was told.

Roughly 10 minutes later, the minor said, Clement left the house and ordered him to get into a vehicle. He dropped the boy off at a residence and left, the boy said, adding Clement had been drinking prior to the altercation.

Officials said a laptop was damaged during the incident. The Department of Children and Families was notified about the beating.

Police did not release the relationship between Clement and the child.

Upon locating Clement, Knobloch arrested him and transported him to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with aggravated child abuse.

Asst. state attorney interrupts car burglary

An assistant state attorney was nearly the victim of a vehicle burglary sometime on Friday, according to officials.

Ocala police said Assistant State Attorney James Graham interrupted the burglary on his vehicle inside his garage and chased the suspects away.

Officers were called to the scene and searched the area, but were unsuccessful in finding a suspect.

Officials recovered a pillow case from the scene with items officials think may have been stolen from other auto burglaries. Officials also said they found change that been removed from the victim's vehicle.

Anyone with any information about this incident or any burglaries in the northeast Ocala area can call the Ocala Police Department at 369-7000, Crime Line at 369-7061 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP. Tips can be sent via the MyPD App, which allows for anonymity, or by texting 274637 using keyword 368STOP, or visiting www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.

Ex-boyfriend accused in home burglary case

SILVER SPRINGS SHORES — A 38-year-old man who apparently wanted to make up with his former girlfriend was arrested Friday and charged with residential burglary, violation of injunction and petit theft after a deputy found the woman's underwear and a set of keys in his pants pocket, according to officials.

Arriving at the home located on Oak Circle, Deputy Kraig McClaskey observed Edwin Pacheco Figueroa exiting the residence.

The 43-year-old woman told the deputy she has an injunction against Figueroa. She said when she opened her front door, she saw Figueroa inside her home and notified authorities.

Figueroa told the deputy he knew he had an injunction against him, but he wanted to talk to his ex-girlfriend in hopes they could repair their relationship.

Searching him, the deputy found a pair of panties and a set of keys in his pocket. The woman said the items belong to her.

Figueroa was taken to the Marion County Jail.

Officials: Video shows man stole from register

SUMMERFIELD — An altercation between two patrons at a bar in Summerfield on Friday ended with one of the patrons managing to escape with cash that officials said he stole from an open cash register.

Surveillance video from Fat Daddy's Bar at 10135 SE Sunset Harbor Road shows the man, a white male wearing a maroon T-shirt, tan shorts and a camouflage hat, entering the back patio and sitting at the bar.

The bartender left the back patio and walked inside, leaving the cash register open, the video shows. The man sitting at the bar is then seen going behind the bar and removing cash from the register.

Exiting to a back patio, the man was confronted by a customer who apparently witnessed the cash register theft. The video shows the customer punching the suspect in the head. During the altercation, the suspect ran toward the parking lot, where a woman is seen getting out of a white sports utility vehicle. The suspect then enters the driver's seat and speeds away.

The bartender said the suspect was at the bar area asking for a drink and she told him she already had made last call. He told her he was waiting for a friend named “Mike” and she left the area to continue her work.

Anyone with any information about this incident can call the Sheriff's Office at 732-9111, Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP, text a tip to 274637 using the keyword 368stop or respond via www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.

COMMUNITY

Deadline for Christmas Parade is approaching

Applications for the Ocala/Marion County Christmas parade are due Tuesday. The entry fee is $75.

The annual parade will be held Dec. 14 along Silver Springs Boulevard between Northeast 25th Avenue and Northeast Eighth Avenue.

For more information, call 897-0198 or visitwww.ocalama­rionchristmasparade.com.

Area closings due to Columbus Day holiday

The following will be closed Monday for Columbus Day:

* U.S. Postal Service

* New York Stock Exchange

* Marion County Public Library headquarters, and Dunnellon and Belleview branches.

GIVE BACK NIGHT: 5-10 p.m. Monday, Chili's, 3501 SW 36th Ave. Customers must tell server they are there for Give Back Night and 10 percent of check will be donated to Ocala Autism Support Network. (237-6611 or www.chilis.com)

To submit information for this list, send an e-mail to calendar@starbanner.com or visit www.ocala.com, scroll down and click on EVENTS CALENDAR on the right.

<p>POLICE BEAT</p><p> </p><p><b>Sexual battery suspect brought back to Ocala</b></p><p>A 40-year-old Middleberg man arrested by Clay County officials on a Marion County warrant for capital sexual battery has returned to Ocala to face the charge, according to reports.</p><p>Jonathan Robert Welcher arrived at the Marion County Jail at 4:50 a.m. Saturday and was booked into the facility. Welcher was picked up by Clay County officials on Thursday for the alleged offense.</p><p>Earlier this month, sheriff's officials had received a report of a 15-year-old teenage boy who had been molested when he was 7 or 8.</p><p>Detective TJ Watts interviewed the teenager, who said Welcher sexually assaulted him in the Orange Lake area.</p><p>An arrest warrant was drafted for Welcher.</p><p>From his investigation, the detective discovered a woman by the name of Crystal Foster may have some information about this case and authorities would like to talk with her about it. Foster, officials said, is not a suspect in the case, but the detective wants to talk with her about what she knows.</p><p>Watts can be reached at 425-3860.</p><p></b>3 arrested when police find meth lab in home</b></p><p>Two men and a woman were arrested by Ocala police on Saturday morning on various drug charges after receiving information about a methamphetamine lab in a garage, according to officials.</p><p>Officers Ashley Stinehour and Anthony Reghetti, along with Sgt. Erica Hay, responded to 2220 NE Third St. in reference to a complaint about someone cooking and selling meth from a garage.</p><p>On scene, officials saw several people at the residence and received permission to search the home. Officers found a meth lab inside the garage and a 3-year-old boy asleep on a cot at the end of a bed.</p><p>The Department of Children and Families was called about the investigation.</p><p>After clearing the home, the officers notified the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team about the incident. Agents went to the home, dismantled the meth lab and collected in excess of 14 grams of liquid and powdered meth, authorities said.</p><p>Arrested at the scene was Eric L. Mulac, 27, on charges of trafficking meth, possession of marijuana less than 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and child neglect. At the Marion County Jail, Mulac received an additional charge of introduction of contraband into a detention facility.</p><p>Also taken into custody was 29-year-old Marcia Whitaker on a charge possession of meth. Whitaker has a warrant out for her arrest out of Brevard County for possession of oxycodone. Also arrested was Jeffrey Whitaker, 31, on a charge of possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.</p><p><b>Man, 36, accused of beating 13-year-old boy</b></p><p>Ocala police arrested a 36-year-old Ocala man for aggravated child abuse after he reportedly punched, choked, kicked and dragged a 13-year-old teenage boy from a room and left him in a front yard on Friday, according to officials.</p><p>The teen told Officer Richard G. Knobloch he was asleep when he was awakened by Mike Clement, who asked him if he was finished with his work. The juvenile said he told Clement no and that he went back to sleep.</p><p>About 10 minutes later, the boy said, Clement came into his room and punched him several times in the stomach and upper torso area, grabbed his throat with one hand and used the other to continue punching him.</p><p>Falling to the ground, the victim said Clement then kicked him in the face. Clement then dragged the victim outside and left him in the front yard, the officer was told.</p><p>Roughly 10 minutes later, the minor said, Clement left the house and ordered him to get into a vehicle. He dropped the boy off at a residence and left, the boy said, adding Clement had been drinking prior to the altercation.</p><p>Officials said a laptop was damaged during the incident. The Department of Children and Families was notified about the beating.</p><p>Police did not release the relationship between Clement and the child.</p><p>Upon locating Clement, Knobloch arrested him and transported him to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with aggravated child abuse.</p><p><b>Asst. state attorney interrupts car burglary</b></p><p>An assistant state attorney was nearly the victim of a vehicle burglary sometime on Friday, according to officials.</p><p>Ocala police said Assistant State Attorney James Graham interrupted the burglary on his vehicle inside his garage and chased the suspects away.</p><p>Officers were called to the scene and searched the area, but were unsuccessful in finding a suspect.</p><p>Officials recovered a pillow case from the scene with items officials think may have been stolen from other auto burglaries. Officials also said they found change that been removed from the victim's vehicle.</p><p>Anyone with any information about this incident or any burglaries in the northeast Ocala area can call the Ocala Police Department at 369-7000, Crime Line at 369-7061 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP. Tips can be sent via the MyPD App, which allows for anonymity, or by texting 274637 using keyword 368STOP, or visiting www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.</p><p><b>Ex-boyfriend accused in home burglary case</b></p><p>SILVER SPRINGS SHORES — A 38-year-old man who apparently wanted to make up with his former girlfriend was arrested Friday and charged with residential burglary, violation of injunction and petit theft after a deputy found the woman's underwear and a set of keys in his pants pocket, according to officials.</p><p>Arriving at the home located on Oak Circle, Deputy Kraig McClaskey observed Edwin Pacheco Figueroa exiting the residence.</p><p>The 43-year-old woman told the deputy she has an injunction against Figueroa. She said when she opened her front door, she saw Figueroa inside her home and notified authorities.</p><p>Figueroa told the deputy he knew he had an injunction against him, but he wanted to talk to his ex-girlfriend in hopes they could repair their relationship.</p><p>Searching him, the deputy found a pair of panties and a set of keys in his pocket. The woman said the items belong to her.</p><p>Figueroa was taken to the Marion County Jail.</p><p><b>Officials: Video shows man stole from register</b></p><p>SUMMERFIELD — An altercation between two patrons at a bar in Summerfield on Friday ended with one of the patrons managing to escape with cash that officials said he stole from an open cash register.</p><p>Surveillance video from Fat Daddy's Bar at 10135 SE Sunset Harbor Road shows the man, a white male wearing a maroon T-shirt, tan shorts and a camouflage hat, entering the back patio and sitting at the bar.</p><p>The bartender left the back patio and walked inside, leaving the cash register open, the video shows. The man sitting at the bar is then seen going behind the bar and removing cash from the register.</p><p>Exiting to a back patio, the man was confronted by a customer who apparently witnessed the cash register theft. The video shows the customer punching the suspect in the head. During the altercation, the suspect ran toward the parking lot, where a woman is seen getting out of a white sports utility vehicle. The suspect then enters the driver's seat and speeds away.</p><p>The bartender said the suspect was at the bar area asking for a drink and she told him she already had made last call. He told her he was waiting for a friend named “Mike” and she left the area to continue her work.</p><p>Anyone with any information about this incident can call the Sheriff's Office at 732-9111, Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP, text a tip to 274637 using the keyword 368stop or respond via www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.</p><p> </p><p>COMMUNITY</p><p><b>Deadline for Christmas Parade is approaching</b></p><p>Applications for the Ocala/Marion County Christmas parade are due Tuesday. The entry fee is $75.</p><p>The annual parade will be held Dec. 14 along Silver Springs Boulevard between Northeast 25th Avenue and Northeast Eighth Avenue.</p><p>For more information, call 897-0198 or visitwww.ocalama­rionchristmasparade.com.</p><p><b>Area closings due to Columbus Day holiday</b></p><p>The following will be closed Monday for Columbus Day:</p><p>* U.S. Postal Service</p><p>* New York Stock Exchange</p><p>* Marion County Public Library headquarters, and Dunnellon and Belleview branches.</p><p>CALENDAR</p><p><b>TODAY</b></p><p>CONCERT: Joy Katzen-Guthrie is in concert with Shirat HaNefesh: The Jewish Spirit in Song, 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Temple Beth Shalom of Ocala, 1109 NE 8th Ave., Ocala. $7- $10. (208-3031 or 629-3587. http://jewishocala.com/)</p><p> </p><p>JAZZ: Charlie Remillard and the Usual Suspects, 4 p.m. Oct. 13, Our Saviour Lutheran Church, 260 Marion Oaks Lane, Ocala. (347-0567)</p><p> </p><p>SUPPORT: Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, 7 p.m. Sunday, Queen of Peace Church, 6455 SW State Road 200, Ocala. (270-8534 or www.foodaddicts.org)</p><p> </p><p>MINDY SIMMONS: Folksinger, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, historic depot, 12061 S. Williams St., Dunnellon. $10. (465-2167 or www.facebook.com/sundaysampler)</p><p> </p><p>HONORING EXCELLENCE: March of Dimes Honoring Excellence and Signature chef event, 5 p.m. Sunday, Ocala Hilton, 3600 SW 36 Ave., Ocala. $100. (229-8587 orkstraight@marchofdimes.com)</p><p> </p><p>LET'S GET FIZZY: Chemistry in Action for ages 10-12, 2 p.m. Sunday, Marion County Public Library, 2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. Reservations required.(671-8551)</p><p> </p><p>CONCERT: Sarah Satterfield and Arnold Irchai, 3 p.m. Sunday, Countryside Presbyterian Church, 7768 SW State Road 200, Ocala. (237-4633)</p><p> </p><p>RAY COOPER SHOW: 3 p.m. Oct. 13, Silver Spring Shores Presbyterian Church, 674 Silver Road. , Ocala Free. (687-1119)</p><p> </p><p>POLIO SUPPORT: North Central Florida Post Polio Support Group, 2 p.m. Sunday, Collins Health Resource Center, 9401 SW Highway 200, Bldg. 300, Suite 303. (489-1731)</p><p> </p><p>MOTOCROSS: AMA Florida Gold Cup Championship Race, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Motocross of Marion County, 2035 NW 146th Place, Citra. $15. (591-2377 or www.mxmarionounty.com)</p><p> </p><p>NAACP: Marion County Branch of the NAACP, 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Baptist Theological Seminary, 1105 NW 4th St., Ocala, speaker Kerrie Jones Clark, CEO, Heart of Florida Health Care. (351-0824)</p><p> </p><p><b>MONDAY</b></p><p>QUILTERS: Ocala Library Quilters, 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, Marion County Public Library, 2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. (625-7653)</p><p> </p><p>AGILITY: Intro to agility course, 7 p.m. Monday, Havenlea Dog Training Centre, 4875 NW 57 Lane, Ocala. $75. (622-9668 or www.havenleadogtraining.com)</p><p> </p><p>COMPUTER CLASS: Beginners, 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dunnellon Public Library, 20351 Robinson Road, Dunnellon. (438-2520)</p><p> </p><p>SUICIDE SUPPORT: 7 p.m. Monday, First Presbyterian Church of Ocala, 511 SE Third St., Ocala. (629-7561 or 817-4747)</p><p> </p><p>BUSINESS STARTUP: Workshop, 9 a.m. to noon, Monday, CF Ewers Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala. $40. (622-8763 or www.sbdc.unf.edu)</p><p> </p><p>FREEDOM BUS: Defend Freedom Bus Tour, 2 to 8 p.m. Monday, Savannah Recreation Center, 1545 Buena Vista Blvd., The Villages. (www.defendfreedomtour.com)</p><p> </p><p>INTERNATIONAL SINGERS: 9 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Church on the Square, 1000 Alverez Ave., The Villages. (259-9432)</p><p> </p><p>OPEN HOUSE: Summer Springs Barbershop Chorus of Sweet Adelines, 1 p.m. Monday, Ascension Lutheran Church, 5730 28th St., Ocala. (624-2887)</p><p> </p><p>GIVE BACK NIGHT: 5-10 p.m. Monday, Chili's, 3501 SW 36th Ave. Customers must tell server they are there for Give Back Night and 10 percent of check will be donated to Ocala Autism Support Network. (237-6611 or www.chilis.com)</p><p> </p><p>To submit information for this list, send an e-mail to calendar@starbanner.com or visit www.ocala.com, scroll down and click on EVENTS CALENDAR on the right.</p>